Once upon a time, we had a pair of ospreys. Their nest was at the tip top of a tree, on a little island just off our point. I had campers who returned year after year to watch those osprey raise their young and send them off into the world.
Then one spring, five years ago we found eagles in the nest! They’d chased off our osprey, which is common I hear. Ready made nest . . . a quiet lake full of fish . . . who could blame them really?
We were sad for a bit, until we realized what a rare treat we had! With good binoculars, we watched as first one little eaglet head, and then another, poked up out of the nest. We watched Mom and Dad bring them fish. Watched as the eaglets first perched nest-side and unfolded their wings to practice catching the breezes. Some of us were lucky to see them fly for the first time.
We’ve all been converted to eagle lovers! And we watch for them eagerly year after year.
My first eagle sighting for 2008 was this past Sunday! Driving home from Portland, we crossed the causeway between our lake and Middle Range. There he was . . . sitting high in a dead tree.
I took this photo this past Fall, after we’d closed the camp. He was sitting on our point looking over the swimming area, where the game wardens had just released a truckload of brown trout.
photo by Tamra Wight ‘07
You’ll find more photos on our website.
I’ll keep you all posted on future eagle sightings!
